The present invention relates to disposable absorbent articles, particularly such as diapers or training pants, provided with stretchable side flaps in the form of double cuffs serving to form double seals around respective legs of the wearer,
Japanese Laid-Open patent application No, 1987-250201 discloses a diaper as an example of the above-mentioned disposable absorbent article having double cuffs, Such a diaper includes first stretchable side flaps (gasket cuffs) extending outwards from transversely opposite edges of a liquid-absorbent core and second stretchable side flaps (barrier cuffs) provided on top surfaces of the respective first stretchable side flaps. The second side flaps each have a proximal edge and a distal edge. The side flaps are intended to eliminate the lateral flow and leakage of liquid excretions that might laterally flow out through the top surface of a topsheet overlying a top surface of said core. According to the disclosure, the second stretchable side flaps may be formed of either liquid-permeable or liquid-impermeable sheet. Consequently, types of the above mentioned excretions of which leakage must be avoided are considered to be semi-liquid or semi-solid excretions.
In such a diaper, the proximal edges of the respective second stretchable side flaps are bonded to the top surfaces of the respective first stretchable side flaps extending between the respective side edges of the liquid-absorbent core and the outer stretchable sealing zones of the respective first stretchable side flaps. With this arrangement, any quantity of liquid excretions leaking over the distal edges of the second stretchable side flaps will be trapped between the second stretchable side flaps and the sealing zones of the respective first stretchable side flaps but may finally leak outwardly of the sealing zones. While such outward leakage is serious particularly when the second stretchable side flaps are formed by liquid-impermeable sheets, it is impossible also for the second stretchable side flaps formed by liquid-permeable sheets to absorb the liquid excretions once trapped and thereby to prevent this from leaking outwardly of said sealing zones of the first stretchable side flaps, since no liquid-permeable sheets having a sufficient absorptivity for the liquid excretions are used to form the second stretchable side flaps.
Certainly, the relatively low absorptivity typically exhibited by the liquid-permeable sheets will be compensated by the relatively high absorptivity typically exhibited by the absorbent core as long as the second stretchable side flaps are formed by liquid-permeable sheets which are arranged in close contact with the liquid-permeable topsheet along the laterally opposite side edge surfaces of the liquid-absorbent core, since the liquid excretions will be then absorbed by the liquid-absorbent core through the respective second stretchable side flaps. However, the second stretchable side flaps do not have such an arrangement in the diaper according to the above-mentioned prior art.
Obviously, liquid excretions may often leak over the distal edges of the second stretchable side flaps and the first stretchable side flaps are provided for this reason.
It is a principal object of the invention to arrange the second stretchable side flaps so as to be able not only to dam semi-liquid or semi-solid excretions, but also to guide such excretions, if they leak over the distal edges of the second stretchable side flaps into the liquid-absorbent core through its laterally opposite side edges surfaces.